Has anyone cruised out of San Pedro and if so, can you tell me which hotel is better for rooms and leaving the car. Will be going on a 15 dayer and would like to stay some place where the car will be safe. Distance to the terminal is not important, as both have a shuttle service.

Any advice appreciated..

jmrubins

November 5th, 2006 12:24 AM

We have sailed out of the "Port of Los Angeles" [San Pedro] three times and have decided to leave the car at home next time.....We rented a car from Hertz, dropped our luggage at the terminal, and then took the car back to Hertz in Lomita, CA. It is about 6 miles from the Cruise Ship Terminal but Hertz pays for your return cab fare. By the time I get back from returning the car my wife has moved up in the line so we just check in and go!
The Crown Plaza is VERY NICE! It was the Sheraton the first time we cruised out of San Pedro but the second and third time it was the Crown Plaza...better beds and better carpets! We will stay there again in January when we again cruise the Mexican Rivera. The parking lot is open and accessable from the street. There doesn't appear to be ANY security....no fence, no guards, just signs saying the management is not responsible for loss or damage....
The Best Western in San Pedro is right across from the Cruise Ship Terminal but we stayed there two nights during a wedding and didn't like the place nearly as much as the Crown Plaza. Their parking isn't secure either. There is also a Holiday Inn in San Pedro that offers "Sail Away" parking rates. Again no security for the car that we can see.
There is an Enterprise Car Rental office also across the street from the Cruise Terminal but you have to do a LOT of work to let Enterprise do a one-way rental, and they charge extra. Hertz lets you rent from LAX or Long Beach airports and there is no extra charge for a drop off in Lomita [the closest Hertz office to San Pedro]. The Budget Car Rental office is closed on weekends so it is useless.

We have also thought of staying on the Queen Mary which is docked in Long Beach Harbor as a hotel....it is at the same pier where the Carnival ships depart....but we will wait for a Carnival cruise for that stay. Thought it would be a nice contrast to see what an older cruise ship stay is like compared to the modern cruise ships.....

NSWP

April 14th, 2007 05:03 AM

Crowne Plaza, San Pedro

We are booked in at Crowne Plaza, San Pedro on 30 August, pre cruise for last trip of Regal Princess to Sydney. Hotel sounds good, BUT is the ship within walking distance of hotel, like 10 mins ? I heard there is a free hotel shutltle anyway.

Best wishes from OZ :o

jmrubins

April 14th, 2007 07:42 PM

Re: Crowne Plaza, San Pedro

[quote="NSWP"]We are booked in at Crowne Plaza, San Pedro on 30 August, pre cruise for last trip of Regal Princess to Sydney. Hotel sounds good, BUT is the ship within walking distance of hotel, like 10 mins ? I heard there is a free hotel shutltle anyway.
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You could walk it....I did... just to go down to look at the ship when it was coming in. BUT when you have luggage it would be difficult, so that's when you take the free hotel shuttle.

There is a cute "antique" electric trolly that runs along the waterfront and a maretime museum as well as a lot of restaurants and shops. There are also nice deck chairs right across the way from where the ship docks so the waterfront is very inviting. There are helicopters and fast ferries taking off for Catalina Island and then, of course, LOTS of ship traffic because it is mostly an active sea port. As long as the wind is coming off the ocean the LA Smog isn't noticeable. If, however, there is NO wind or the wind comes off the mountains then there is a brown tinge to everything.

The Queen Mary is docked about 10 miles away where the Carnival ships dock. It is a floating hotel. We stayed there a night just to compare what it was like to be on a ship of an older vintage. There are a lot of activities near the Long Beach passenger ship docks.

The actual town of San Pedro uphill from the hotel is not someplace you want to walk at night but the waterfront area is much more walker friendly in the evening.

NSWP

April 14th, 2007 10:29 PM

thanks

Thanks mate for that info on San Pedro and Hotel, much appreciated for a first time visitor to mainland USA, only been to Hawaii and Alaska before.